New summer service between Christchurch and Brisbane

Strong
demand for the South Island has seen Qantas add extra flights
through the main gateway, Christchurch Airport, over the coming
summer.

South
Island travellers will have the choice of an extra 48 return
services between Christchurch and Brisbane and 15 return
services between Christchurch and Sydney.

Christchurch Airport Chief Commercial Officer - Aeronautical
Justin Watson says the extra flights will help meet the huge
Australian demand for the South Island, which there haven't been
enough flights to meet.

"The
Qantas additional 12-week programme, with four flights per week,
will bring an additional 16,128 seats between Christchurch and
Brisbane, 12% more seats than the same period last year," he
says.

"Last year
we had almost 60,000 visitors from Queensland fly into the South
Island via Christchurch, which was 5.6% more than the previous
year, so there is no doubt the demand is there and
growing.

"Forecasts
suggest the service will bring another 3,200 visitors to the South
Island, most of them Australians. Christchurch is the most
productive gateway for regions across the South Island, because
more than 85% of international visitors go on to visit other
regions. We also know these visitors spend up to six times more per
day than local residents do, so they provide a massive boost to
local consumption.

"Qantas
hasn't flown between Christchurch and Brisbane for ten years, so
the return of the service offers travellers competition and
choices. Importantly, it also offers a very strong one-stop
international connection between Japan and the South Island through
Brisbane. We encourage tourism operators to make the most of this
connection to ensure this service grows.

"Any way
you look at these extra services, they are a massive vote of
confidence by Qantas in the market between Queensland, Japan and
the South Island and they mean good news for every region in the
South Island," he says.